그런가하면 성경 시대의 방언은 계시적 도구였지만 오늘날의 방언은 계시적 도구가 전혀 아니라고 생각하시는 분들은 오늘 날에도 방언 현상이 있을 수 있는 여지가 있다고 봅니다. 이런 둘째 입장을 가지게 되면 성경에 나타난 방언과 오늘날 있는 방언은 같은 것이 아니라는 것을 주장하는 것이 됩니다. 따라서 이런 입장을 취할 때, 오늘날의 방언 현상과 성경적 방언을 같은 것으로 보고 하는 논의를 하거나 그런 생각을 해서는 안 됩니다.
— “방언 문제에 대한 성경적 개혁 신학적 논의를 감사드리면서” 이승구 교수

기름 부음! 영성! 치유! 신유! 방언! — 이런 말들을 외치면 굉장히 신령해 보이지만, 신령한 능력과는 관계가 없습니다. 하나님 나라의 역사의 굵직한 선을 그은 신앙의 선조들을 보면 전혀 그런 것을 외치지 않았다는 것은 우리가 쉽게 확인하는 바입니다. 

“경건의 모양은 있으나 경건의 능력은 부인하니 이같은 자들에게서 네가 돌아서라” (디모데후서 3:5)

벤틀리는 마치 기적이 구원의 신앙의 증거인 것 처럼 얘기합니다:

“기적과 치유는 증거입니다. 하나님 나라의 표적이며, 표적이 없다면 우리에게 남은 것은 신학 뿐입니다” — 벤틀리 (Travis Reed, “Religion Today“, Associated Press. 2008년 7월 30일자)

그러나 예수님의 이름으로 기적을 행하는 믿음이 있다고 하나님 나라에 들어가는 것이 아님을 주님은 가르치셨습니다:

“주여, 주여! 우리가 주의 이름으로 선지자 노릇 하며 주의 이름으로 귀신을 쫓아 내며 주의 이름으로 많은 권능을 행하지 아니하였나이까?” 하리니, 그 때에 내가 그들에게 밝히 말하되 “내가 너희를 도무지 알지 못하니 불법을 행하는 자들아 내게서 떠나가라” (마태복음 7:22,23)

이 말씀에서 우리는 하나님 나라를 증거하는 것과 병 고치는 능력과는 아무 상관이 없음을 배울 수 있습니다.

암에 걸려서 기적적으로 나았다 해도 다음에 또 암에 걸리지 말라는 법이 없습니다. 나사로가 삼 일 동안 무덤에서 썩고 있다가 다시 살아서 나왔지만, 나중에 그는 다시 수명이 다해 죽었습니다. 하나님 나라의 능력이란 그런 데에 있는 것이 아니라, 옛 사람이 죽고 그리스도를 닮아 창조된 새 사람을 입는 데에 있는 것입니다. 그것이 진정한 기적이고 오직 예수 그리스도의 복음 만이 갖고 있는 위대한 능력입니다.

In Acts Chapter 10–11, we see two groups of Christians approaching the gentiles with the gospel of the Kingdom. First group was led by the great apostle Peter, and the other were some unknown Christians whom we only know were from Cyprus and Cyrene.

The unraveling of history recorded here is quite remarkable; to see this we must understand the obstacles faced by the Church at that time. Apparently there were some unsettled issue among Christians (mostly consisted of Jews at that time) on how to treat the circumcision—the mark of the holy covenant of God. They didn’t yet have the full understanding that now the King, our Lord Jesus Christ, has been glorified, he has declared a new economy of the Kingdom with a better covenant made with His blood, which the previous covenant was the shadow of, and that He established baptism as the sacrament of the new covenant, its role replacing that of the circumcision. A deep exposition on this whole matter is given to us in the epistles of Paul; but in Acts 10 and 11 that is yet to come and many Christians thought that the first step of entering the covenant community, namely the Church, is to become one of the circumcised and bare the mark of, which we now know as, the old covenant. 

But the Holy Spirit knew that the early Church had to set an example for coming generations from the beginning and that there is no time for hesitation in showing and demonstrating the glorious attributes of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

So we see in Acts 10, Apostle Peter, while not fully understanding why it has to be done that way, forced by the Spirit, through various signs and visions, to the gentiles. In Acts 11 he gives to the church in Jerusalem explanations for his actions, but not the reasoning; he says that “God gave the Spirit to them, so who am I to stand in His way?” Peter is saying that ‘I don’t fully understand why the things happened this way; the only thing I know is that God accepts the uncircumcised and I will not call impure what God has made clean.’ Because of the lack in his understanding, we see that Peter shows an undecided attitude on some other occasion (Galatians 2:11-14).

Meanwhile, we see in Chapter 11 men from Cyprus and Cyrene who went to Antioch and preached to the Hellenists. Quite possibly they have heard of the story of Cornellius and Peter, because before them people did not dare to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised. Without the edification of the Holy Spirit, these men could not have overcome such strong hesitation. But there is no account of them seeing special visions or hearing voices like Peter did, nor witnessing speaking of tongues. These men, unquestionably by the work of the Spirit through the Word of God, reached the conclusion that God no longer distinguishes the uncircumcised with the circumcised. God acknowledged them and gave them many fruits (Acts 11:21).

Such internal and logical understanding has the strength to give conviction to overcome future obstacles; while external visions or special experiences itself almost always loses its strength in time, as we can see from Peter’s case (Galatians 2:11-14).

We are not trying to contrast Peter and the unknown men from Cyprus and Cyrene; they both did their work called by our Lord; Peter also obtained full understanding later on; and through their work the Church started to demonstrate the drastic difference between Hebraism and Christianity. As a consequence, people started to call the disciples not as some particular sect of Judaism but rather as “Christians” (Acts 11:26).

But we can make comparison in their actions and ask ourselves, “What do we seek?” Special experience? Visions? Hearing of voice? Speaking of tongues? Or the edification of the Holy Spirit through the written revelation of God? Which has more strength? Which is more desirable for Christians? The bible says, “in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:26)